Enable Customer Service and Field Support with Mobile CRM Tools

By
Matt Lippe

The expected level of customer experience (CX) a visitor to your store or business has today is vastly higher than what it was just three years ago. Mobile CRM has been a primary driver for raising the bar; customers now expect real-time information from any touch point they have with your business. You may be witnessing this through the improvements in your business’ CX mobile apps have delivered, or from visits to competitors who deploy these technologies.

So, what does customer experience comprise? It is the total of experiences and interactions the customer has with your business, including in-person and digital experiences. Mobile Customer Relationship Management (CRM) enables teams to access, manage, and transmit information to help your customers, thereby enhancing their experiences. The expert advice a customer receives, informed suggestions based on prior purchases, and help with complaints and returns are all part of CX. This article will address how mobile applications are essential to enabling your on-site service personnel to exceed today’s CX expectations.

Every employee can now support the customer

SMBs with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that includes mobile CRM applications have a decisive staffing advantage. An integrated CRM application provides access to any enabled employee all the pertinent customer information, from anywhere at any time.

Whether your business is an office supply or field service dealership, a retailer, or a lumberyard, everyone on hand can access up-to-the-minute information to address customer needs. Salespeople can pull up customer histories, yard workers can check on inventory levels of products, and field agents can check on work orders. Employees never need to keep a customer waiting while they head in to the back office or call for help. Deliveries can be documented immediately, signatures obtained electronically, and proof of delivery uploaded to the ERP system automatically. Field sales representatives can update leads and stay on top of opportunities. They can manage and respond to customer service cases, share files, and even hold digital meetings with customers and business partners. Even executives and owners can run the business on the go.

Staffing is now fluid, flexible, and economical

Enabled with cloud-based mobile CRM, authorized employees are no longer chained to their desks. They have the freedom to work wherever they are needed. This means employees can wear more hats and be more productive. Businesses don’t need contingency plans for customer service absences and support levels can remain high even as staffing levels vary. This makes it much simpler to bring in more staff for seasonal needs, as the training required to deliver customer support is simpler and the learning curve less steep.

The statistics suggest mobile CRM is essential to remaining competitive

Any technology that claims to substantially raise the bar for CX should be able to demonstrate this claim with strong adoption and success rates. Across industries, the adoption rate and performance of CRM technologies has been staggering. Consider these statistics:

The demand for this technology is escalating with great pace and the growth of CRM is expected to reach US $48.4 billion by 2020.

Eight in 10 Americans (81%) report that businesses are meeting or exceeding their expectations for service, compared to 67% in 2014.

ECi offers mobile applications for users of our e-automate®, DDMSPLUS™, Red Falcon®, MarkSystems®, RockSolid MAX, and Spruce® software. Talk to your service representative today about how you can take your customer service to the next level using mobile technology!

About the author

Matt Lippe is the Product Manager of Mobile for ECi; he has served as a Dealer Advisor and Associate Product Manager. Matt’s experience working directly with dealers and his interests in technology are the backbone of his desire to help the independent dealer thrive in a challenging, changing environment. Originally from the DFW, Texas, area, he obtained an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. In his free time, Matt enjoys eating all the things, cooking all the things, and exploring the many hike and bike trails around Central Texas.

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